the day of thanks

 (dress/purse: re-run's, loafers: cole haan, coat: vintage)

  Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the entire year; pies galore, family meals, butter balls & noodles, and bingo games. My family has lots of traditions for this holiday, which make everything that much more special. I enjoy my two extremely over-sized meals during the day, with double in desserts at each gathering. I love having this blog because I can look back on what I did on Thanksgiving last year, and nothing has changed. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well, and found many things to be thankful for. 

  I am currently running on about less than five hours of sleep the day after Thanksgiving. I am not a big fan of the whole "Black Friday rushing about sales", but my sister convinced me to go to H&M in the early hours of the morning. We ended up eating at a diner, then heading to a local thrift store where everything was half price. I have found myself taking out my Christmas decorations to ring in the next holiday, which I am now looking forward to.

flowers in me, feeling like a vase

(coffee and bakery treats at the Filling Station.) 

(cashmere coat: for sale, vase print dress: for sale, beret: h&m, tights: target) 

  My Thanksgiving break so far has been quite nice to me; filled with much more free time than usual and using that free time... mostly wisely. I enjoy this "preview" of winter break taking time away from my planner of scheduled essays and tests, and focusing on a few photo shoots and finally organizing the large amount random items I've bought from rummage sales over the past few months. I spent some time reading an art magazine from the 1960's, learning some Spanish from an anatomy foam chart, and wearing slipper socks all times of the day (my apartment is quite drafty). 

  I am normally not one to do this, but I decided to wear a dress and a cashmere coat that I have for sale in my shop. The combination sounded so inviting (the coat is the single most comfortable piece in the world), I couldn't resist because I'd never personally worn them before. I must say I learned my lesson by having to hand stitch part of the dress I sagged on a twig, and that the coat's pockets are so thin my cell phone ripped through and the fall cracked the screen. Yes, this will probably never be happening again, but I'm glad to say all that is fixable and they will stay waiting for their new home... on my garment rack. I also created a Pinterest, which I've been having fun pinning everything in sight. I swore I would never make one, but things do seem to change. You can find me, here! 

made at home: coffee grounds scrub

Coffee Grounds Body Scrub

• about 1/2 cup of ground coffee beans 
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of sea salt 
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 

  Use your left over coffee grounds from the morning brew, or simply grind fresh beans for the mixture. Add all ingredients together and store in an air tight container. Make and use frequently. Use once a day on face and body. 

  After making my own scrubs and masks for quite awhile, I will never go back to store bought ones. Using this scrub made my skin feel amazingly soft, along with the feeling of being awaken from the coffee beans. Everything in this scrub is wonderful for your skin, which is why making your own scrubs is the best. And you get to use coffee grounds, which normally end up in the trash! 

sponsorship: december

  Hello readers! The month of December is hopping right around the corner, which means there will be more spaces open for sponsors! December is one of the happiest months of the year; including Christmas, the beginning of Winter, and New Year's Eve. I have a large size for $20 (which can include a collaboration* and is at the top of the ad section) and a small size for $10, which both will be purchased through Adproval.

  I am also open for ad swaps on small size ads (with blogs along the same content and size as my own), and ideas of collaboration. I do ad swaps on a month-by-month basis, so make sure to re-apply! More information on sponsorship here. I would always prefer to do swaps, I love meeting new bloggers/small businesses and seeing my favorite blogs/shops posted on my site.

*collaborations for the Large Ad Size can include (but not limited to) a giveaway, a review and/or feature of a product/service, or other ideas that can be consulted.  For an actual "sponsored" post, please contact me for payment details and more information. 

Some numbers:

• Over 1,000 followers on gfc, bloglovin' (1 & 2), and other subscribers.
• Over 2,600 followers on social media websites: including instagram, facebook, tumblr and twitter. 
• Post 3-5 days a week.
• Over 10,000 page views last month. 
• Largely viewed from United States, Russia, and United Kingdom. 
• A growing, hometown reader following (Kansas City, MO). Featured in a local magazine publication and two news television segment. 

late fall vintage shop update

flower collared cream dress

 Christian Dior sweater 

 mexico deer poncho

 classic pencil skirt

purple shape patterned dress

orange and navy wool coat

1960's cream sheer bra

autumn printed dress

1970's floral floor length dress

cashmere coat 

1950's white lace bra 

1970's patterned nightgown

  Fall is the best time for a wardrobe clean out. Yes, I have added many more little vintage pieces to my shop, and excited to share them with you! As I traditionally do, use the coupon code "HELLO10" for an extra 10% off your purchase until December 15th. Thanks for browsing, and happy last of Fall days. 

red letter year

 

(everything worn here is either vintage or thrifted)

  Home has been the place for me lately. I've been spending roughly all my daytime hours besides class inside of it. I suppose there is something about Fall right before the chill of winter that it rains and pours, and all you want to do is decorate and read your literature class books on your most comfy couch. I have redecorated my apartment quite a bit, although these pictures don't do it justice (the lighting in my apartment is horrible besides the earliest of morning). 

  With starting a part-time seasonal job for the holidays/my winter break, my daylight hours are often rushed and unnoticed. I'm starting to count down to my seasonal break from school.. although I will probably be working most of it. It's still crazy to me how as college students, we receive over a month break for winter. I am hoping to fully use that by hosting a pop-up shop for my shop somewhere local, possibly think about that book I wanted to create a few months ago, and start sewing again. Readers, have you already begun plans for your holiday time-off?